“This is so stupid”: Candace Owens challenges Blake Neff over Charlie Kirk and Erica Kirk TPUSA heiress claims

Candace Owens challenges Blake Neff over claims she is heir to Charlie Kirk and Erica Kirk TPUSA (Image via Getty)

Candace Owens and Blake Neff’s latest social media confrontation quickly gained attention after the conservative commentator challenged Neff to prove a major claim related to it. charlie kirk and his wife Erica Kirk. The exchange began after Owens responded to an article published by The Bulwark, which discussed public reactions to the idea of ​​her potentially running for president in the future. Owens shared the article on X and claimed that President Donald Trump’s attempt to publicly embarrass her “had the opposite desired effect.” The article included comments from people who said they would consider supporting Owens if she ever ran for president.That post later caught the attention of political commentator Blake Neff, who responded, writing, “You should run. I think the whole country would benefit from learning more about who you really are.”Rather than address the comment directly, Owens shifted the conversation to an old controversy involving Charlie Kirk and the leadership of Turning Point USA. He challenged Neff to show proof that Charlie Kirk had officially chosen Erica Kirk as his successor.Owens wrote on

Candace Owens Revisits Charlie Kirk and Erica Kirk’s Inheritance Claims During Blake Neff Exchange

This is not the first time Candace Owens has publicly questioned Blake Neff on the same topic. In April, Neff posted on X that there was “no doubt” as to who would ultimately be Charlie Kirk’s successor at TPUSA. Owens immediately pushed back and asked her to provide evidence that Charlie had publicly named Erica Kirk as her replacement.After this the disagreements became personal and acrimonious.In a response, Blake Neff wrote, “Candace, we didn’t bother playing this because we know psychopathic predators like you don’t care what is true or false and normal evidentiary logic has no effect on you.”Neff also claimed that he no longer believed that “any good-faith negotiation” was possible with Owens. He later compared him to “a maniac who brandishes knives and yells at people on the subway.”Owens fired back shortly thereafter and mocked Neff’s comments. He wrote, “Please just say April Fools’, brother. This is so stupid it hurts, but you have a few hours left to claim it was a joke.”Social media users divided back and forth. Some users defended Owens and questioned why Neff would not release the alleged video if it existed. Others criticized Owens and accused him of creating unnecessary drama online.Erica Kirk has also faced criticism online since stepping into a larger leadership role associated with TPUSA after rumors of Charlie Kirk’s death and succession discussions circulated online. Public figures including Candace Owens, Jennifer Welch, and Jason Whitlock have all publicly questioned their positions within the organization.

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Arsenal thobe for Eid? Zohran Mamdani goes viral in bold football-themed outfit at Eid al-Adha celebrations football news

Arsenal thobe for Eid? Zohran Mamdani goes viral in bold football-themed outfit at Eid al-Adha celebrations
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is seen wearing Arsenal-inspired thobe during Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Bronx, New York/Image: X

Zohran Mamdani Celebrated Eid al-Adha by wearing a custom Arsenal-inspired thong in the Bronx, combining her long-standing support for the English football club with traditional Eid attire during a public appearance with fellow Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Mamdani wore a modified version of Arsenal’s blue away shirt, a kurta-style garment extending below the knees. The livery included the club crest, “Emirates Fly Better” sponsor logo and red sleeve stripes associated with Arsenal’s 2025–26 away kit design. The robe appeared to be transformed from Arsenal’s away jersey into a traditional Angrakha-style thobe or kurta for the Eid celebrations. Mamdani, who is the first Muslim mayor of New York City and a vocal Arsenal supporter, linked the symbolism of Eid al-Adha to his political message, posting photos of the event on social media. “Today as we honor the Prophet Ibrahim, Eid al-Adha reminds us that sacrifice is not a burden,” Mamdani wrote on X. “It’s an opportunity to see ourselves as part of something bigger. To extend a hand to those who need it most.” “I am honored to be the first Muslim mayor of New York City and I am determined to lead with solidarity. Together, we are working to ensure that every New Yorker can afford the groceries, housing, and child care they need.” “Our unity is our strength,” he said. Eid al-Adha is one of the most important festivals in Islam and is thus Eid-ul-FitrWhich marks the end of Ramadan. The holiday commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to make sacrifices in obedience to God and is associated with charity, community gatherings, and shared meals. Mamdani’s outfit immediately attracted attention online due to its unusual mix of football culture and traditional Eid clothing, especially given Arsenal’s recent success. The Premier League club were crowned English champions this season for the first time in 22 years and are also preparing to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30. Mamdani’s favorite teams have enjoyed a memorable sporting period in recent weeks, with Arsenal winning the Premier League title while the New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Meyer’s Arsenal support is often visible in his public appearances and social media posts, although the custom Eid outfit marked one of his most visible football-themed statements since taking office.

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From $642 to $4 million: Fired JPMorgan employee wins huge compensation over food plate controversy

From $642 to $4 million: Fired JPMorgan employee wins huge compensation over food plate controversy

A former JPMorgan broker who claimed he was wrongfully fired over a $642.50 deli platter attached to a business meeting has been awarded nearly $4 million in damages by a Wall Street arbitration panel, the New York Post reports.The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ruled last week and ordered JPMorgan Chase to pay veteran Beverly Hills broker Brent Ryan Bodner millions in compensation in 2024 following his dismissal over what he called misplaced expense claims.The controversy centered on a gathering held by Bodner at his home in February 2024. Banks reportedly described the meeting as a “Super Bowl party”. Bodner’s lawyer said it was a pre-approved business meeting.His attorney, Baltimore-based Mark Seldin Rosen, said the expense was for a deli platter delivered to Bodner’s home for the meeting, which was ordered before the Super Bowl.“They weren’t hiding anything,” the lawyer said, adding that the receipt showed a delivery to Bodner’s home. “There was nothing nefarious there. He presented documents showing it was at his home.”He said the assistant handling the expense initially coded it as if the food was eaten at a deli rather than through delivery, but argued it still complied with company expense rules.Rosen also claimed that JPMorgan used the incident as an excuse to fire his client, adding that the decision to fire him was made before the investigation was concluded.“This was no Super Bowl party,” he said.He added: “They tried to mischaracterize it as a Super Bowl party to humiliate them.”Bodner has spent more than a decade registering with JPMorgan Securities and its affiliates and now works at Wells Fargo.The FINRA panel also recommended that Bodner’s employment records be corrected, including changing his termination to “voluntary” and removing the termination explanation entirely.A JPMorgan Wealth Management spokesperson said: “We strongly disagree with FINRA’s decision and are disappointed by the outcome.”The news of this decision was first reported by Barron’s.Bodner had initially sought $30 million in total damages, including punitive compensation, but a three-member arbitration panel rejected most of those claims and did not award punitive damages. However, it also cost them $800 in filing fees plus almost $4 million in interest.Arbitrators also ordered JPMorgan to cover most of the costs related to the case. The bank has not said whether it will challenge this decision in court.

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Indian-origin MMA fighter Hrishikesh Koloth dies in bear attack in Canada: ‘Wanted to fight in UFC’

Indian-origin MMA fighter Hrishikesh Koloth dies in bear attack in Canada: 'Wanted to fight in UFC'
Hrishikesh Koloth was an MMA fighter

A 27-year-old Indian-origin mixed martial arts (MMA) trainee killed in a rare bear attack in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, has been identified as Hrishikesh Koloth, a fighter who dreamed of competing in the UFC, according to his family.Hrishikesh Koloth died on May 8 while working at a uranium exploration site near Nordby Lake, about 850 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon. He was employed as a contractor technician at the Zoo Bay property operated by Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp.According to CBC News, he was from Kerala, India and moved to Canada three years ago and was living with his elder brother in Penticton, British Columbia. He had trained in MMA for over a decade, first in India and later in Canada, and was preparing to pursue a professional fighting career.His brother Arjun Koloth said that Hrishikesh’s lifelong ambition was to fight professionally.Arjun said, “It was his dream. That’s why he came here.” “He wanted to fight in the UFC.”He trained at Skowden Martial Arts in Penticton, where his instructors had high expectations for his future. Arjun said he was scheduled to start working as a boxing coach in Vancouver in June.Arjun said, “A job is only a means to an end.” “In the end we had to fight.”Arjun said that Hrishikesh was fearless and committed towards his goals. “He’s not afraid of anything,” he said.Arjun said, “Two days’ notice before the fight? Doesn’t matter. Is the opponent heavier than him? Doesn’t matter. Win or lose, he just wanted to fight.”Arjun remembered receiving the devastating news early in the morning.“An RCMP came and knocked on my door and told me your brother has passed away in Saskatchewan,” he said.After the attack, a civilian present at the scene shot and killed the bear. The animal was later sent for post-mortem.Hrishikesh’s brother is now in Kerala for the last rites and said he wants his brother to be remembered for what he was: “I want him to be remembered for what he did. The innocent heart, the soul of the fighter. The warrior.” And let me just say that he struggled [the] Bear. That’s all…the bear did not attack him. He attacked the bear.”This case is considered extremely rare. This is only the fourth fatal bear attack in Saskatchewan’s recorded history. The last such incident occurred in 2020, when 44-year-old Stephanie Blais was murdered near her family cabin north of Buffalo Narrows.

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Elon Musk’s ex-girlfriend Ashley St. Clair claims she was offered ‘enough money equal to the GDP of a small country’ not to expose MAGA

Elon Musk's ex-girlfriend Ashley St. Clair claims she was offered 'enough money equal to the GDP of a small country' not to expose MAGA

Former MAGA influencer and Elon Musk Ally Ashley St. Clair has made a series of explosive claims about the American political right, saying she was offered large sums of money to keep quiet and alleging that parts of the MAGA movement operated through coordinated private group chats linked to senior political figures.In an interview with a journalist Mehndi HasanSt. Clair said he was once offered money to promote former US Ambassador Rick Grenell to Secretary of State. He claimed that there are “multiple chats that they deal with”, which he said sometimes include Trump administration officials and Trump family members. Grenell has previously denied involvement in any such efforts.St. Clair also said that after distancing herself from MAGA politics, she faced pressure from people within the movement and said she was offered substantial money to remain silent about her experiences.When asked if he had rejected any financial offers, he said, “I did.”He said, “I am not at liberty to discuss but I have turned down so much money that it is the GDP of a small country.”He also talked about changing his political views, his time at MAGA, and critics’ claims that he changed his position out of personal anger or revenge against Musk.Addressing those claims, he rejected the idea that his views were motivated by revenge or financial gain. “Well, first of all I’m not making any money from this. I’m back in school. I finished my semester with 22 credits and I plan on going to law school. That’s what I want to do. I want to start fighting and making reforms within a system that I believe is causing a lot of harm.”He also said he feared backlash from former MAGA associates. “I knew what the MAGA reaction would be. I was in this cult for almost a decade. I knew exactly how they would respond to me and I was prepared to be ostracized. I was ready to work with it.”During the interview, St. Clair said that he later reconsidered his views after being exposed to different viewpoints and personal experiences. She said her thinking was influenced by conversations with transgender friends and reading historical accounts, including slave narratives.“There were a lot of things. It happened slowly and then all at once,” he said.He also claimed that in conservative circles there was a strong culture of distrust of mainstream media and academic institutions, including incentives to report professors through activist lists.The interview also discussed her relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk and her legal action against his AI company XAI after he claimed it generated explicit deepfake images of her.

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Stephen Hawking’s Quote of the Day: “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but…” |

Stephen Hawking's Quote of the Day:
Stephen Hawking’s quote of the day

Some quotes seem wise immediately and then disappear from memory a few minutes later. Others sit quietly in the mind and become more interesting over time. This quote, widely associated with Stephen HawkingIt feels like it’s one of those lines that gets heavier the longer one thinks about it. At first glance, this appears to be a simple statement about learning. Look closer, however, and it starts to feel like a commentary on human behavior itself.People generally believe that ignorance is the greatest obstacle to understanding. This assumption seems logical. If one doesn’t know something, learning should solve the problem. Schools exist because of that idea. Books exist because of that idea. Questions exist because of that idea.Yet Hawking points elsewhere entirely.He suggests that the bigger danger may be too little information. The real problems can begin when people become convinced that they already know too much.This sounds a little uncomfortable because almost everyone has experienced it without even realizing it.

Quote of the Day by Stephen Hawking

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

Understand the meaning behind Stephen Hawking’s statement

From the quote it seems that being ignorant of something is not necessarily the worst case scenario. Someone who openly admits not knowing something can still ask questions. The person can still listen, learn, and change their understanding.The illusion of knowledge works differently.This creates a situation where people believe they already have the right answer, even when they don’t. Once this happens, curiosity often begins to disappear. Questions become less important because certainty has already arrived.This is where the difficulty begins.Imagine someone driving through a city and being completely confident that he knows the way. If they realize they are unsure, they may stop and ask for directions. If they believe they already know where they are going, they can confidently keep moving in the wrong direction for a very long time.Self-confidence becomes the problem.Knowledge usually grows from curiosity. The illusion of knowledge can quietly close the door before curiosity can even enter the room.

Modern life makes this quote strangely relevant

There was a time when accessing information seemed difficult. People searched for books, visited libraries and waited for answers. Today information is available instantly. The phones provide an explanation within seconds. Social media feeds constantly offer endless streams of opinions, facts and advice.Strangely, access to more information does not always lead to better understanding.Many people have experienced moments where they read a headline and immediately feel informed about a topic. Sometimes a short video gives the impression of expertise. Sometimes people hear an explanation and begin speaking as if they fully understand a complex issue.A person watches some clips about economics and suddenly feels ready to explain global markets.Someone reads a health article and starts behaving like a medical expert.Another person spends ten minutes reading about space and starts debating with the scientists.Most people smile at such examples because they seem familiar.Many people might have done something similar themselves.This is what makes Hawking’s quote interesting. It doesn’t feel like it’s focused on a small group of people. This quietly points to a tendency that many humans share.

There is a difference between not knowing and believing in your knowledge

People often feel embarrassed to admit uncertainty.Someone asks a question and there is pressure to answer immediately. Saying “I don’t know” sometimes feels uncomfortable. Some people worry that this will make them appear ignorant or unprepared.Interestingly, real experts often sound very different.Scientists, researchers and experts often leave room for uncertainty. They may say that the evidence suggests something. They may say that current understanding points in a certain direction. They often acknowledge that future discoveries may change what is known.This approach may seem less confident to people listening.Yet this often reflects a strong understanding rather than a weak one.The more people learn, the more they realize how much remains unanswered.Confidence and knowledge don’t always go together.Sometimes the greatest certainty comes from the shallowest understanding.

Stephen Hawking spent his life asking questions

Stephen Hawking devoted much of his life to understanding some of the biggest questions imaginable. He studied black holes, time, space and the origin of the universe.The answers to those topics are not easy.What made Hawking interesting to many people was his ability to discuss complex ideas in a way that ordinary readers could follow. They brought scientific questions into the public conversation and made people curious about topics they might otherwise ignore.His work often reflected some important things about learning.He never saw knowledge as the final destination.Science itself behaves like this. It varies. It gets adjusted. Sometimes old beliefs disappear as new evidence comes to light. Questions keep leading to new questions.That process requires humility.The moment people believe that every answer has already been found, search slows down.

There are examples of this idea throughout human history.

History shows again and again situations where certainty delayed understanding.For a long time, people believed that the Earth was at the center of everything. This belief seemed unquestionable to many societies.Medical systems were once based on ideas that were later proven wrong.There were times when people rejected discoveries because established beliefs were too certain to be challenged.Looking back, those mistakes seem obvious.People often wonder how an entire society could hold beliefs that later turned out to be wrong.The hard truth is that people living in those moments probably felt as confident as people do today.This idea may seem a little disturbing.Future generations may ultimately view current perceptions in the same way.

Other famous quotes from Stephen Hawking

  • “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
  • “Remember to look at the stars, not at your feet.”
  • “Life would be sad if it weren’t funny.”
  • “People who boast about their IQ are losers.”
  • “Work gives you meaning and purpose and without it life is empty.”

Stephen Hawking’s quote shows why certainty can be our greatest hindrance

Stephen Hawking’s quote does not argue against knowledge itself. It almost says the opposite. Knowledge remains powerful. Learning remains important. The questions remain important.The warning seems to be directed elsewhere.People usually recognize ignorance because it is visible. Someone realizes that they don’t understand anything.The illusion of knowledge behaves differently. It often hides itself behind certainty and confidence. People may continue to believe that they understand something completely, while never realizing that there is much more to learn.Perhaps that’s why this quote still resonates with so many readers.Human progress has often depended on people being willing to accept a simple sentence that may sometimes seem difficult to say:There may be much more to learn here.

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Heatwave turns deadly in Britain: 9 killed in separate water incidents over Bank Holiday weekend, urgent warning issued

Heatwave turns deadly in Britain: 9 killed in separate water incidents over Bank Holiday weekend, urgent warning issued

At least nine people, most of them teenagers and children, have died in separate water-related incidents across Britain during the recent heatwave and bank holiday weekend, according to a BBC report. The deaths have prompted an urgent warning from water safety experts, who are calling for urgent action to educate young people about the dangers of open water before the summer holidays begin.Deaths were recorded from lakes, dams, rivers and beaches in England and Ireland as rising temperatures drove people to open water to cool off.The victims included 15-year-old Declan Sawyer, whose body was recovered from Swanholm Lake near Lincoln on Sunday after reports he had gotten into trouble in the water. His heartbroken family later described him as a “funny and friendly young man” and urged parents to warn children about the dangers associated with rivers and lakes.

Teenagers among victims across Britain

On Bank Holiday Monday alone, several different tragedies occurred.The 13-year-old boy, identified locally as Reco Puttock, died after being ejected from the Leadbeater Dam near Halifax in West Yorkshire. In another incident, the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire, while a teenage boy was found dead in a lake in Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire after an overnight search.Police in Lancashire also recovered the body of a child, believed to be a 12-year-old boy, who had got into trouble while swimming in the River Ribble near Chester.In Cheshire, emergency services continue to search for a missing 17-year-old boy in Pickmere Lake after reports he went missing while swimming at the popular beauty spot. Authorities later confirmed that a body had been found in the water.Heat wave-related tragedies were not limited to England. In Dublin, 15-year-old Abbie Carmody-Pepper died while bathing at Burrow Beach in Sutton.Meanwhile, in Cornwall, a man in his 60s lost his life after entering the sea to help two relatives struggling in the water near Padstow.

Water safety experts issue urgent warning

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) said warmer weather often increases the incidence of accidental drownings and warned that open water can remain dangerously cold despite high air temperatures.Experts warn that sudden exposure to cold water can cause “cold water shock”, which can cause breathing difficulties, panic and loss of mobility.Jim Bridges of the Water Safety Partnership urged people to remember the “float to live” advice if they find themselves struggling in the water.“Lie on your back with your head tilted back and ears submerged in the water. Use your arms and legs to help you stay afloat and try to control your breathing,” he said during an interview with BBC Breakfast.He said that once breathing returns to normal, people should either call for help or try to swim carefully to a safe place.

Call to immediately teach water safety lessons in schools

Following the deaths, drowning prevention organizations are demanding that schools start teaching open water safety lessons immediately rather than waiting for the new academic session in September.RLSS UK said the inclusion of water safety education in England’s Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE) curriculum was a positive step, but warned that delaying the lessons until the autumn could cost lives during the upcoming summer holidays.The organization urged parents, teachers and community groups to use freely available water safety resources to educate children and teens before schools close for the six-week holidays.Declan Sawyer’s father, Carl, echoed those concerns in an emotional appeal.“We would like to raise awareness about children playing near rivers or lakes in hot weather,” he said. “Please make children aware of the dangers associated with water.”

Cold weather brings some relief

After days of record-breaking temperatures, cooler weather swept across northern and eastern parts of England on Wednesday, bringing a temporary respite from the heat.However, officials continue to urge caution around lakes, rivers and coastal areas as hotter conditions are expected to return later in the week.

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Who is Piya Dandiya? Indian-American teacher who taught in Delhi slums is now running for Congress in Florida

Who is Piya Dandiya? Indian-American teacher who taught in Delhi slums is now running for Congress in Florida

According to American Bazaar, Indian-American teacher and policy professional Piya Dandiya has shifted her US Congress campaign to Florida’s redrawn 22nd District, moving on from her previous bid in the 21st District, as she enters a closely watched open race in the state.Dandiya is a former high school principal and technology manager. She is running on a platform focused on lowering the cost of living, strengthening public education, and supporting middle-class families. His campaign comes after a mid-decade redistricting plan approved by Governor Ron DeSantis reshaped many congressional boundaries, turning the 22nd District into a competitive swing seat in South Florida.If elected, she will become the first South Asian American to represent Florida in Congress, reflecting the state’s growing Indian-American population.Dandiya was born and raised in Palm Beach County. She is a first-generation Indian American whose parents immigrated from India in search of better opportunities. Her early experience in education work included volunteering during her undergraduate years, when she taught English to children in the slums of New Delhi, an experience she said focused her attention on educational equity. She currently lives in Palm Beach County with her husband and son.Her professional career began in education, where she worked as a teacher in low-income schools, where she reported good student outcomes, with over 90% of her students reaching state proficiency levels. At the age of 28, she founded a charter high school in Harlem, New York and became one of the youngest principals in America. The school achieved strong academic results, with all graduates gaining admission to college despite the majority of students coming from low-income backgrounds.He later worked with the Domestic Policy Council and the Department of Education as a White House Fellow before moving into the private sector. In that role, he worked on public sector initiatives at Apple involving education, health care, and government systems.His campaign focuses on reducing everyday costs, including fuel, groceries and health care, through measures such as negotiating prescription drug prices. She also supports universal pre-kindergarten, increased investment in public schools, expansion of vocational training, and protection of Social Security and Medicare.Dandiya has also received an endorsement from Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried and a reported campaign fund of $1.17 million cash. This establishes him as a strong contender in the Democratic primary for the newly competitive district.

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4 killed in fatal highway crash involving illegal immigrant who drove wrong while drunk in Oklahoma; may face deportation

4 killed in fatal highway crash involving illegal immigrant who drove wrong while drunk in Oklahoma; may face deportation

An illegal immigrant has been accused of killing four young people after driving while intoxicated (DUI) on an Oklahoma highway.Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Michael Rosario-Cruz. He was released from the hospital and booked into the Canadian County Jail on multiple charges, including four counts of second-degree murder, DUI causing serious injury, driving while impaired, carrying a firearm while intoxicated and transporting an open container.The crash happened early Friday morning on Interstate 40 in Canadian County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Rosario-Cruz was reportedly driving westbound in the eastbound lanes when he collided with another vehicle. Due to the collision, the car caught fire and all four occupants died.The victims were identified as Kiersey Hickson, 20, Quincy Jones, 19, and Haleigh Salazar, 18, and Brad Palmer.Rosario-Cruz is the subject of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention request, meaning ICE has asked to be notified prior to any release so that deportation proceedings can begin. His nationality and when he entered the United States have not been confirmed.“Driving without a license is a reckless, life-altering decision,” the Highway Patrol said in a social media post announcing the charges.It added: “The loss of these young lives will have a lasting impact on countless family members, friends and communities.”The victims were remembered at a recent vigil held at El Reno High School, where three of them graduated. Nancy Salsman, a retired teacher, said she taught second grade to three of the victims.“You just make that connection that never goes away,” he told News 9.He added, “They’re always your kids. And when something like this happens we come together.”

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Sanjay Mehrotra, who was rebuffed thrice for US visa, joins Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai in the trillion-dollar club

Sanjay Mehrotra, who was rebuffed thrice for US visa, joins Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai in the trillion-dollar club

TOI correspondent from Washington: In the summer of 1976, the Kanpur-born teenage engineering student at BITS Pilani stood in the lobby of the US Embassy in New Delhi after being denied a student visa for the third time. His father, who had come with him, refused to go. She had seen the photo of the consular officer in the lobby, learned that he had gone out for lunch, and decided that she would wait to ask him why her son was being denied a visa even though admission to three universities was confirmed and all the documents were in order. Persistence worked. Half a century later, that student, Sanjay Mehrotra, is CEO of Micron Technology, the memory-chip giant that on Tuesday eclipsed the $1 trillion market capitalization that fueled Wall Street’s AI frenzy and joined the top 10 U.S. companies by valuation, surpassing more well-known giants like Walmart, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. It’s one of Silicon Valley’s most incredible stories: A guy repeatedly shunned by America became the manager of one of America’s most strategically important technology companies in the MAGA era. He is not alone. Mehrotra’s rise also completes an extraordinary desi tableau at the top of corporate America. The world’s three most valuable technology companies – Microsoft, Alphabet and Micron, with market caps exceeding trillions – are now run by Indian-origin executives who arrived in America as middle-class strugglers with nothing but engineering talent, parental sacrifice and a quiet fire in the belly. Satya Nadella Grew up in Hyderabad as the son of a civil servant. Sundar Pichai He was brought up in a modest apartment in Chennai where the family once shared a rotary telephone. Mehrotra also came from a middle-class family in Kanpur that did not even have a phone. During his formative years in America calls to his parents were always via “PP” – “neighbor’s phone” – calling a neighbor who had a landline, who called his parents. Amazingly, their collective rise is now reshaping both Silicon Valley and the political debate over globalization in Donald Trump’s MAGA-backed America.Unlike Pichai and Nadella, who already inherited major software empires, Mehrotra’s achievement has been more industrial and arguably more difficult. Memory chips are cyclical, highly capital-intensive, and historically dominated by Asian giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. When Mehrotra became CEO of Micron in 2017, the company was worth about $20 billion. Today, Micron has reached the trillion-dollar mark amid an AI-driven explosion in demand for high-bandwidth memory chips that power data centers. Wall Street’s sudden fascination with Micron — driving the stock up 180 percent in 2026, including a 75 percent rise in May alone — reflects a terrible realization: AI may run on Nvidia processors, but it remembers via Micron memory. Micron’s rally has been so intense in recent days that President Trump personally praised the company as “one of the most popular stocks” after hosting Mehrotra at the White House, amid allegations of insider trading after allegations surfaced that Trump owned a stake of between $50,000 and $100,000 in Micron stock. Trump later took Mehrotra on his trip to China as part of a high-profile business delegation — a remarkable embrace from a president whose political movement has often attacked globalization and immigration.That tension now defines the Indian-American CEO moment in modern America that goes beyond the tech trio. MAGA activists and economic nationalists are accusing Indian-led technology companies of outsourcing jobs, favoring Indian engineers in hiring, and maintaining divided loyalties between the United States and India. In recent days, IBM’s Arvind Krishna – another Trump favorite – has come under fire from right-wing activists angry over the company’s huge Indian workforce. Similar allegations have been leveled against Microsoft’s Nadella and Google’s Pichai from time to time. Yet the same White House that is against globalization also relentlessly oppresses these executives because they now control companies central to America’s technological supremacy against China. Few industries illustrate that paradox more clearly than memory chips where Micron has invested extensively in India following ventures in Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, China and Malaysia. As part of India’s $2.75 billion effort to enter the global semiconductor supply chain, the company is investing over $800 million of its capital to build an ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging) facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The Sanand facility is rapidly hiring engineers, automation specialists, manufacturing experts and quality technicians for its 500,000-square-foot cleanroom space, one of the largest single-floor assembly and test cleanrooms anywhere in the world, as India races to transform itself from a software-services back office to a hardware manufacturing hub.For Mehrotra it’s more personal. Unlike many Silicon Valley executives who maintain only formal ties with India, he has repeatedly viewed Micron’s India expansion as a strategic long-term investment in engineering talent and manufacturing depth. Symbolism matters: The student who was once denied entry to the US is now helping define America’s semiotic relationship with India.Still, the parallels with Nadella and Pichai are striking. Under Nadella, Microsoft’s market value has increased 10-fold – from about $300 billion in 2014 to more than $3 trillion today, largely through cloud computing and AI. Pichai, who became CEO in 2019, has seen 4x growth — from $1 billion to a $4 trillion-plus club that has only one other member, Nvidia. This is while navigating antitrust battles, AI disruption, and political scrutiny over search dominance. All three men have some management qualities in common: low-key demeanor, engineering passion, incrementalism over theatrics, and an aversion to Silicon Valley celebrity culture. None resemble the flamboyant founder ideal popularized by other tech giants like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. He is a smooth operator, not a showman. In an industry once dominated by charismatic dropouts – Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison – corporate America has quietly shifted toward tech immigrant executives with deep managerial discipline.That change is not accidental. The AI ​​age is rewarding operational complexity, supply-chain coordination, and geopolitical balancing rather than pure product charisma. Mehrotra presents that change well. He co-founded SanDisk before leading Micron into one of the most important moments in semiconductor history. Today, memory chips are at the center of the AI ​​arms race between the United States and China. Micron’s fortunes are now tied not just to consumer electronics but to national security, data centers and global power politics.The irony is rich. A young Indian student once struggled to convince America that he was entitled to enter the country. Today, Washington views it as essential to maintaining America’s technological dominance. And somewhere in the story lies a larger truth about modern America: Even in an age of MAGA nativism and skepticism about globalization, some of the companies at the heart of American power are increasingly run by Indian immigrants, who have come after denied visas, middle-class anxieties, and parents willing to wait endlessly in embassy lobbies for a second chance.

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